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INDUSTRY Germany / France

Cinema Communication battle not yet over

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- German and French film funding representatives are demanding that the Cinema Communication should reflect the needs of the European film industry

The new Cinema Communication was the hottest topic at the German-French meeting Das Rendez-vous in Berlin on November 28 and 29."We need to meddle," said German Federal Film Board (FFA) Chairman Peter Dinges, in reference to the opening speech of German-French Film Meeting Association President Alfred Hürmer. The association began ten years ago with industry members who actively wanted to work on their visions for the future.

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In terms of the Cinema Communication, Dinges, CNC President Eric Garandeau and other executives of European film funding organizations do not wish to give up their current territorialization clauses in favor of a common market in Europe. "We received the latest draft of the Cinema Communiction six weeks ago," said Dinges. "There was no time to assemble with the European Commission and to evaluate the impacts on the production industry in Europe." At an informal EFDA meeting in Brussels, the FFA and CNC heads suggested maintaining the effective territorialization rules until a solution that fulfills the needs of the European film industry is found.

This indicates that the Cinema Communication will not expire at the end of 2012. "We want the European Commission to achieve their common market but that should not mean destroying the European film industry," said Garandeau. "We hope, that a solution will be found by the end of March," added Gisela von Raczeck, German Films Representative to the EU in Brussels.

At the gala dinner Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media Bernd Neumann underlined the close co-operation between Germany and France in terms of European film politics. "At the EU Council of Ministers of Culture earlier this week my colleague Filippetti and I appealed to the European Commission for an unrestrained resumption of our national film funds within the framework of the new Cinema Communication."

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